Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland and Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections Brad Battin have used a Multicultural Media Roundtable at Parliament House to argue the Liberals and Nationals are listening to multicultural communities in a way they say Labor no longer does.

The roundtable brought together representatives from Victoria’s multicultural and ethnic media outlets for a discussion on crime, cost of living, small business pressures, community safety and the future of local cultural events.

Wilson, Mulholland and Battin told attendees that multicultural Victorians should not be treated as automatic voting blocs, arguing ethnic communities deserve direct engagement, practical policies and a real voice in state decision-making.

The Opposition said multicultural media outlets play a vital role in keeping Victoria’s diverse communities informed, connected and heard, particularly at a time when many families are facing economic pressure and rising safety concerns.

Liberal leaders used the forum to claim their party is the strongest supporter of multicultural Victorians, accusing Labor of taking migrant communities for granted after years of relying on their electoral support.

They argued that many multicultural families, small business owners and community organisations are dealing with the same pressures as the rest of Victoria, including rising household bills, payroll tax burdens, crime, youth offending and growing difficulty running community events.

The meeting came as crime and community safety remain central to Victoria’s political debate.

Brad Battin, a former police officer and the Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections, was a key part of the discussion and focused on how a Liberal and Nationals government would reduce crime and make Victoria safer for families, communities and businesses.

Battin told the roundtable that community safety was not only a policing issue but also an economic and social issue, with crime affecting local businesses, families, faith groups and community events.

He highlighted the Coalition’s plan to strengthen police numbers, restore frontline visibility, tighten bail laws and ensure serious offenders face stronger consequences.

“Victorians are sick of being told everything is fine when they can see what’s happening in their own communities,” Battin said.

“The numbers don’t lie. Under Jacinta Allan, crime is up, police shortages are getting worse and more Victorians are feeling unsafe.”

He said Victorians deserved a government that backed police, put victims first and took crime seriously.

The Opposition pointed to data it says shows criminal offending has risen sharply since Jacinta Allan became Premier in September 2023, including increases in total criminal offences, residential aggravated burglaries, family violence-related serious assaults, motor vehicle theft and weapons offences.

Wilson said community safety was a top priority for her team.

“Under Labor, cops are down, crime is up and Victorians are paying the price,” Wilson said.

“Community safety is a top priority for my team, and we have a comprehensive plan to end the crime crisis.”

She said a Liberal and Nationals government would recruit 3,000 additional Victoria Police officers, return Protective Services Officers to every metropolitan train station, implement “real Adult Crime, Adult Time” laws and introduce a tough one-strike bail rule for serious offences.

For multicultural media representatives, the roundtable provided an opportunity to raise issues directly affecting their audiences, including public safety in suburbs with large migrant populations, pressure on family-run businesses, the cost of compliance for community events and whether government communication is reaching non-English-speaking communities effectively.

Mulholland said multicultural and multifaith communities were central to Victoria’s identity and should be engaged throughout the political process, not only during election campaigns.

The Opposition argued Labor had too often relied on multicultural communities for votes while failing to address the issues affecting them in daily life.

Liberal leaders said their message to multicultural Victorians was that support should be measured through action: safer streets, stronger police presence, lower pressure on family businesses, better support for faith and cultural organisations, and respect for community media.

The roundtable also discussed concerns around Victoria’s Places of Public Entertainment permit system.

The Liberals and Nationals said they had forced the Allan Government to abandon proposed changes that could have made it harder and more expensive to hold community events, including cultural festivals, school fetes, farmers’ markets, Anzac Day services and local celebrations.

The Opposition said such events are often organised by volunteers and community groups with limited budgets, making extra red tape and compliance costs a serious barrier.

They argued that multicultural festivals are not simply entertainment but a core part of community connection, cultural identity and social cohesion.

The Australian Festival Association has previously described Victoria’s PoPE regime as one of the most difficult in the country, and the Opposition said Labor’s proposed changes would have placed further pressure on an events sector already struggling with rising costs.

The meeting formed part of the Coalition’s broader push to rebuild trust with multicultural communities across Melbourne’s suburbs and regional Victoria.

For years, Labor has dominated many migrant-heavy electorates, but the Opposition believes cost of living, crime, housing pressure, religious freedom, small business regulation and community safety are shifting the political conversation.

Wilson, Mulholland and Battin used the roundtable to signal that ethnic media will have a direct line to the Opposition as the Liberals and Nationals develop policies ahead of the next state election.

The event also reflected a wider political reality: multicultural communities are no longer prepared to be treated as predictable voters.

Many are asking practical questions about safety, economic opportunity, business confidence, education, housing and whether their cultural and faith institutions are respected.

The Liberals and Nationals are seeking to position themselves as the party willing to listen to those concerns and act on them.

Labor is expected to argue it has invested heavily in multicultural programs, settlement support, anti-racism initiatives and community grants. But the Opposition says those programs mean little if families do not feel safe, businesses are struggling, and communities feel taken for granted.

The roundtable ended with a clear political message from the Opposition: multicultural Victorians are not a voting bloc to be managed, but communities to be respected, heard and supported.

Whether that message cuts through will now depend on whether the Coalition can turn engagement into trust, and trust into votes.

Support our Journalism

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.